Change in cancer pain management in Korea between 2001 and 2006: results of two nationwide surveys

Abstract

Context: In Korea, many health care professionals have shown increased concern about the management of cancer pain. Five years after a pain management guideline was distributed to Korean physicians, the Korean Society of Hospice and Palliative Care evaluated the change in cancer pain management. The period evaluated was between 2001 and 2006.

Methods: We did a prospective, cross-sectional cancer pain survey on the change of the pain prevalence and pain intensity, its impact on daily activities and the adequacy of pain management between 2001 and 2006.

Results: Overall, 7565 patients were enrolled from 72 cancer hospitals in the 2001 cancer pain survey and 7245 patients were enrolled from 63 cancer hospitals in the 2006 cancer pain survey. The overall prevalence of cancer pain and the percentage of patients reporting a negative pain management index were significantly decreased in the 2006 cancer pain survey compared with the 2001 cancer pain survey (44.9% vs. 52.1%, P<0.0001 and 41.6% vs. 45.0%, respectively, P=0.0005). However, in 2006, physicians did not prescribe analgesics to 25.8% of the patients with severe pain and they did not adjust the prescribed analgesics properly in 47.4% of the patients with severe pain.

Conclusion: Some improvement in cancer pain management was noted during the five years between 2001 and 2006. However, all of the physicians who care for cancer patients should pay more attention to cancer pain management, and an educational program for cancer pain management should be distributed to all of the physicians who care for cancer patients.